Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku
THREE daring armed robbers turned a quiet night into chaos when they stormed a tuck-shop at Springs Farm in Umguza, just outside Bulawayo. They smashed their way in with an iron bar and unleashed violence on a sleeping shop attendant.
Ian Ncube, Brandon Mhlanga and Alex Ndlovu, struck just after midnight. They kicked open the tuck-shop door and woke the female attendant with slaps and kicks. They demanded cash and cellphones, but when told there were none, they grew more aggressive.
“They slapped me several times and kept shouting for money,” the terrified attendant told police.
The trio made off with cases of booze, boxes of powdered Soap and packets of cigarettes.
However, their criminal joyride was short-lived. An urgent manhunt by police led to their arrest the following day. They were dragged before Bulawayo regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga and charged with armed robbery.
Though they all pleaded not guilty, the court convicted them on the strength of overwhelming evidence.
Ncube and Mhlanga were slapped with eight-year sentences. Two years were suspended for good behaviour and one more for restitution, leaving each to serve five years behind bars.
Ndlovu didn’t walk away freely either. He was caged for six years, with three suspended under similar conditions, landing him three years behind bars.
derick.khumalo